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Google adds Princeton president to its board

Shirley Tilghman, who's also a molecular biology professor at the university, may aid Google's efforts in science.

Dawn Kawamoto Former Staff writer, CNET News
Dawn Kawamoto covered enterprise security and financial news relating to technology for CNET News.
Dawn Kawamoto
Google has elected Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman to its board of directors, building on its efforts in science, the company announced Wednesday.

Tilghman, who is also a molecular biology professor at the university, participated in the cloning of the first mammalian gene as part of her postdoctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health.

Her appointment to the board may aid Google's work in tackling scientific problems. In 2002, the company tested a toolbar that acted like a supercomputer in an effort to figure out how genetic information is converted into proteins.

"Google is a company born out of university research," Eric Schmidt, chief executive of the company, said in a statement. "We look forward to tapping into her extraordinary talents as an accomplished academic, and as a champion of discovery."

Tilghman also served as a member of the National Research Council committee that worked on a project that served as a blueprint for U.S. involvement with the Human Genome Project. In addition, she was a founding member of the National Advisory Council of the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health.